Good fpr the “kid”. A huge talent and a great guy on and off the ice. Mario will take care of him regardless of what may happen. Mario took over Pitt with them owing him millions. Great Franchise. But a Devote Bruins Fan

Even though Sidney Crosby’s 12-year, $104.4 million contract extension won’t be official until Sunday — he can’t sign before July 1 — the Pittsburgh Penguins have gone ahead and trumpeted arguably the biggest signing in franchise history.

Appropriately, Mario Lemieux was one of the first to praise the deal.

“This is a great day for hockey and tremendous news for the Pittsburgh Penguins and our fans,” Lemieux and Pens co-owner Ron Burkle said in a joint statement. “We are grateful for all that Sidney Crosby has done for our franchise since coming to Pittsburgh in 2005, both on and off the ice, and we look forward to having him in a Penguins uniform for the rest of his career.

“He is an excellent player and an even better person, and he is a great ambassador for the Penguins and for Pittsburgh.”